Blower structure



Oct. 20, 1953 s. P. CAMPBELL 2,656,095

BLOWER STRUCTURE Filed April 23, 1948 2 SheetsSheet l ,zg'gJ 5 Oct. 20, 1953 s. P. CAMPBELL 2,656,095

BLOWER STRUCTURE Filed April 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 20, 1 953 BLOWER STRUCTURE Shirley P. Campbell, Wichita, Kans., assignor to The Coleman Company, Inc., Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application April 23, 1948, Serial No. 22,843

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a blower structure. The structure is particularly useful as a blower for a warm-air furnace, but is applicable to a wide variety of uses.

Present day blowers, which are employed for warm-air furnaces, and other uses, are objectionable because of the noise developed in the operation of the blower, by reason of the amplitude and frequency of the compressionable waves leaving the blower outlet. Further, such blowers are designed for use with conduits having a predetermined resistance. In actual operation, it is found that the resistance afforded by conduits often is considerably different than that for which the blower is designed and an unsatisfactory result obtains. Since the resistance in conduits varies with substantially every installation in a house or other building, there has been a long-felt need for some means for adjusting a direct drive blower to such varying resistance in the conduits, means being provided for an accurate adjustment from a position outside of the blower chamber.

An object of the present invention is to provide a blower structure which is effective for modifying the amplitude and frequency of compressionable waves set up in the blower before leaving the blower outlet so as to greatly reduce the noise, while at the same time providing a highly eificient blower. A further object is to provide a blower structure equipped with means operable from without the blower chamber for easily and accurately adjusting the output of the blower against the resistance encountered in a particular conduit installation. A still further object is to provide means for accurately dividing the output of the blower so as to recycle a portion of the output when the pipe resistance is less than that for which the blower is designed. Yet another object is to provide a blower structure equipped with means for dampening vibrations and for sealing the casing about the operating parts to obtain a high efficiency, while producing less noise and while providing a calibrated arrangement for accurately adjusting the output of the blower against the pipe resistance encountered. Other specific objects and advan-' tages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a single embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side view in elevation and providing a vertical sectional View of the blower structure, the section being taken as indicated at line 2-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a broken end view in elevation; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of the cut-off block or roll with the supporting means therefor.

In the illustration given, A designates a motor and B a blower structure.

The motor A is of well-known construction and need not be described. in detail. It is supported upon a frame it, provided with rubber supporting blocks H which dampen the vibrations of the motor A. The motor A drives a shaft It.

The blower structure B may be of any suitable construction. In the illustration given, there is secured upon the motor shaft 12 an impeller arm 13 fixed to a central frame member 54, to which are secured curved vanes IS. The impeller or blower is also provided with end plates :6 to which the vanes l5 are secured at their ends.

About the impeller or blower, there is provided a casing II, which forms an annular chamber l8 of relatively small cross-section at the top of the blower but enlarging toward the oulet pipe l9, as shown in Fig. 3. Sealing strips 2! are secured to the casing members I! and extend inwardly to form curved inlet openings 22 leading into the interior of the blower. Inlets are thus provided from both sides of the structure.

The casing I1, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, is stepped inwardly at 23, and then extends outwardly, terminating in an outwardly-turned flange 24. A metal sheet 25 is welded to the flanges 24 to close the casing.

Secured upon the stepped portions 23 of the casing is a sheet 26 of metal or other suitable material, providing a chamber between it and the sheet 25. The sheet 26 is preferably provided with perforations 21, and the chamber between the sheets 25 and 25 is preferably filed with fibrous material, as, for example, fiber glass 28. Each end of the chamber housing the fiber glass 28 may be closed by a metal plate or cap 29, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

In order to adjust the volume of the air orother fluid leaving the blower outlet or mouth, I provide a cut-off block or roll 30. The roll 30 is secured to the arcuate arms 3| by means of the screws 32. Each of the arms'3l is provided with a series of locking slots or notches 33 on the. underside thereof. A cross-strip 34 is secured to the outer ends of the arms 3| to provide a handle therefor. The casing "pat the top of the blower 3 structure, is provided with spaced guides 35 having slots 36 receiving and guiding the screwheads 32. A baffle 31 may be provided between the flange extensions 35 to partially seal 01f the return passage to the blower chamber.

Secured to the casing I1 is an adjustable latch 3 q ppedw th an elo ed, slot- 40 th o gh. which extends, a screw. H. Uponloosening the screw 4|, the tooth 42 of latch plate 39 may be withdrawn to permit shifting of the arcuate arms,

3! forwardly or rearwardly to bring the roll 30 to a desired position, and then the latch plate 38 may be moved into engagement with the aligned. notch 33 and secured therein, byJr tating the screw 4| into locking position.

The frame l0, which supports the motor, is preferably extended to provide a base also fo the blower B, as shown more clearly in 1,, and resilient sleeves 43 are preferably employed, as illustrated more clearly Fig. 1, for providing a resilient support for the blower casing I]. It will; be understood that the supporting structure may be varied widely to meet different requirements for the apparatus.

Operation In the operation of" the structure, the motor drives the impeller or blower through the impeller arm L3. is drawn inwardly from the, sides of the structure and into the impeller, and is delivered: into the annular chamber of the blowen. The perforated sheetor lining 26 tends to diffuse or p upv the ccmhies ion le waves, and th fibrous material 21 lows dew or m fi he amplitude and energy of the compressionable waves leaving the blower outlet. As a result, I find that the noise. of the blower is greatly reduced, while at the same time the desired volume of air is delivered with high eiiiciency.

If the resistance of the conduits with which the blower is connected, less than that ior which the output. of the blower was des ned, the block or roll 3.0- may be advanced from its position shown in Fig. 3 to a position extending farther into. the utletof the chamber 18. .Such m mentd erea es. th a ili y of th w r to compress. the air and adjust the Output of the blower to the resistance encountered. The air tends to cling to the outer periphery of the imn lleror whee and the. cut- .1 e sappa ent y serves as a stripper for stripping off the clinging air. When vthecut-ofi block, is moved rotationwise aroundthe rotor or impeller and away from the narrowest point between the rotor and the. casing r scroll. it s less. ffect v in sh nn n fi the stream of ir and mor of h a r clings. to h wh l- S ch air m y be re urned through the retur por io of the a nu a cham r Whatever e th exp anation. th m vement o t e c t- H block is f und t ve an ac urate adjustm nt ,Of the blower to the r s sta c in the onduits. a d uch. a jus m t s effec ed easily and accurately by moving the handle structure supported outside of the blower. 'Movement of the handle, which effects a corresponding movement of the block within the blower, provides ready and easy'means for giving the exact balance-needed between the-blower and the pipe resistance encountered.

To adj t the roll or bleck 3.0. the screw all i le s nedrand th h nd e 34 utside of the. casing i .-dV&I:;Qd Q vmhiiect the ar uate arms 3.1 and the roll 30.- iarther into the s euth eithe ehem er,

Qrdinarilr. :suchresistance will be hnewn-brsthe length and size of the conduits and such resistance, upon reference to a chart, will enable the operator to adjust the roll accurately to the desired point to meet such resistance. The various notches 33 may be provided with scale numerals to aid in such ready adjustment to meet the nreca cul t d resis e a ier ieii by the conduit he t sla 3. l h n be moved t b n the tooth 42 thereof intoth'e appropriate notch, and the screw 4| will be rotated to secure the plate in the selected position. If at any later time. the length and size of the conduits should be changed, a. ready readjustment of the divider er-eiat-efiih eelimaybe madecut off block. may be of any desired shape or construction. I prefer to employ a roll or a block having curved surfaces to facilitate the flow of the divided air streams.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth a specific structure in great detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention, it will be understoodthat such details of structure may be modified widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention. I 3' I claim:

1. In a blower structure, a vane-equipped im peller mounted for rotaticn, a generally cylindrical casing providing an annular chamber about said impeller enlarging toward anpu'tIet with which it is provided and having also an inlet leading into the interior ofthe impeller, an arcuate track extending into said 'cha nber adfiacent the outlet, arcuate arms supported by said track, a cut-cit block carried bysaid arms, and means associated with saidarms and extending out of said casing chamber for moving said arms transversely ofsaid chamber, said arcuate arms being provided with a portion equipped with notches and an adjustable latch for engaging said notches.

2. In ablower structure, a vane-equipped impeller mounted for rotation, a casing providing an annular chamber about. said impeller, the chamber enlarging toward an outlet with which itis provided and having also an inlet communicating with the interior ofsaid impeller, a' cut-. off block within the outlet portion of said chamher, and arcuate members guided upon said casing and supporting said block within said chamber and for movementtransverselyofsaid chamber, one of said arcuate members being provided with notches and a scale valigneol'with said notches and said casing-being. provided with an adjustable latch for engagement with said notches.

In a blower structure, a vane-equipped im-. peller mountedfcrrotation, a generallylcylindrie cal casing-providing an .annular chamber about said impeller enlarging toward an outlet with which it. .is provided andhaving also an inlet leading into. the interior ofsthe impeller, said casin providing av return passage from said-out, i 'to aid chamber, anda cut-ofi-blocharranged axl lly if the imneller and being substantially coextensive in length. therewith and. adjacent its periphery. saidcut-ofiblock being mounted ads a sent-th outlet passa e at said :returnpassa fl nd. miiely withmstheoutlet for movementfin an ereuete t substantially concentric with the impeller axis bodily outwardly into said amber: outlet fo dividin t e outputof said me lleeso that a p rt on ofstheoutput is re, turned hroughsaidreturn passae msaid chamher. said utaoffblockhavinga relatively small transverse length as compared with the transverse length of said outlet so that the area of said outlet in communication with said impeller remains substantially constant irrespective of the position of the cut-01f block.

4. In a blower structure, a vane-equipped impeller mounted for rotation, a casing providing an annular chamber about said impeller, the chamber enlarging toward an outlet with which it is provided and having also an inlet leading into the interior of the impeller. said chamber having a return passage from the outlet thereof to the narrow portion of the chamber, and a cutofi block arranged axially of the impeller and being coextensive in length therewith and ad- 15 jacent its periphery, said cut-01f block being mounted adjacent the wall of said outlet at said return passage and entirely within the outlet for movement in an arcuate path concentric with the impeller axis bodily outwardly into said chamber outlet for dividing the output of said 6 impeller so that a portion is returned through said return passage to said chamber, said cut-oil block having a relatively small transverse length as compared with the transverse length of said outlet so that the area of said outlet in communication with the impeller remains substantially constant irrespective of the position of the cut oif block.

SHIRLEY P. CAMPBELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 874,329 Gray Dec. 17, 1907 1,989,061 Longenecker Jan. 22, 1935 2,001,522 Chester May 14, 1935 2,171,341 McMahan Aug. 29, 1939 2,214,467 Lambert et al Sept. 10, 1940 2,298,745 Klockau Oct. 13, 1942 2,335,734 Caldwell Nov. 30, 1943 

